


Diving Far Below

by snowynight



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Childhood Memories, Fluff, Gen, Ocean, Scuba Diving, Slice of Life, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 09:45:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11288703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowynight/pseuds/snowynight
Summary: Jim and Spock go diving and discuss their first impression of nature.





	Diving Far Below

"It'll be fun," Jim said with smile while he handed over the brochure of the Palau diving trip to him. "Do you know that the ocean was once called as the last frontier on Earth? Come on, where's your scientific curiosity?"

"It is an unfortunate human tendency to engage in physical exhausting activities in supposedly a time for rest."

"So will you go with me? Palau is ideal for diving, and I think it's time for you to prove your title as the swimming record keeper in the Academy."

"Until you broke it," Spock replied and sighed. Both of them knew Jim would win, so it would be better give in gracefully. "Have you already made plans?"

Spock conceded that Jim's bright smile was a reward of its own, but Spock still wondered why it was so easy for Jim to persuade him to do things he would not normally consider.

* * *

Jim barely concealed his excitement when they arrived at their first destination, the German Channel, and kept talking about the manta rays and schooling sharks common in the area with dramatic gestures. They dived to a spot to wait for manta rays which swam by to have parasites removed by little cleaner wrasses.

When the manta ray came, Spock could sense the excitement radiated through Jim’s fluid movement. The manta rays swam slowly and leisurely, fearless and confident, and some them swam towards them. Spock admitted that it was impressive to be so close to these majestic fish.

While Jim lost himself with the manta rays, Spock observed the hard coral reef which sheltered numerous ocean life: shrimps, barnacles, kingfishes, snappers, to name only a few that he came across. It was always disorienting to face this abundance of life that humans too for granted and nearly eradicated out of greed and ignorance. Keeping Jim in sight, he catalogued the interaction of the animals and the geographical feature of this location, as field experience surpassed theoretical knowledge of animals.

Jim gestured to Spock to looked at his right, where a grey reef shark swam several metres away from them. Jim stared at it while keeping totally still, letting Spock see the curious child that Jim once was. During the remaining time they were able to see schooling sharks, eels and other tropical fish.

* * *

 

When their diving was over, Jim said to Spock while scarfing down an energy bar. “It’s really fascinating down there, isn’t? I always think of the sea as a world of its own, and humans are so lucky to share it. Do you know that when manta rays were once hunted indiscriminately, they changed their mating behaviour from group mating to scattering into pairs or small groups? Really smart of them to do so.”

“It is an interesting experience,” Spock said, “When my mother brought me to the Earth seaside for the first time, I stayed away from the water because of the same impression you have of the sea.”

“Really? Why?”

“As water is scarce on Vulcan, the only time we see an abundance of water is during a flash flood, which is very dangerous. While I have read about sea and oceans on Earth before, my younger self was overwhelmed by the reality. It was so alien and huge that I feared that it would devour me.”

“I had similar feeling when I first came to a desert. No way you could find any fixing point for navigation, and it was so boundless. Interesting how our minds ascribe different meaning to the nature based on our culture and upbringing.”

It was so Jim to be accepting and insightful, one of the reasons their friendship stood strong, Spock thought. “Do you feel the same about deserts?”

“Sometimes, but mostly they remind me of you. In some way you’re like a desert with your boundless reserved soul.”

“A most unusual comparison.”

“I can be a poet sometimes,” Jim said with a laugh. “So where do you want to go tomorrow? Jellyfish Lake, Blue Corner, Peleliu, or others?”

“You are determined to spend as much time underwater as possible.”

“Of course! I once dreamed about being a professional diver as a kid. It’s time to fulfill some dream.”

Spock’s eyes softened as he prepared for their trip mentally. He would be content wherever they went, as long as Jim was by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Written for fan_flashwords: toes; gen prompt bingo: Palau


End file.
